{"id":17626,"date":"2025-10-27T13:17:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T12:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/theatre-animals-on-the-opera-stage\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T12:38:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T11:38:22","slug":"theatre-animals-on-the-opera-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/operazuid.nl\/en\/theatre-animals-on-the-opera-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Theatre animals on the opera stage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Both come from the world of theatre, and both are now diving headfirst into Die Dreigroschenoper.<\/em> We speak to director Serv\u00e9 Hermans and actor-singer Maarten Heijmans just as rehearsals have begun. How does it feel to be working on an opera? How do they see the character of Macheath? And what do they think of the music in this iconic masterpiece?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is your operatic debut for both of you. How\u2019s that experience been so far?
<\/em>Serv\u00e9<\/strong>: \u2018Our hope and ambition is that theatre and opera will enhance each other in this production \u2013 that together they\u2019ll become more than the sum of their parts. There\u2019s a lot of spoken dialogue, so this is really a show for stage animals. The singers are incredibly talented in that respect. They love embracing the adventure. You can feel that.\u2019
Maarten<\/strong>: \u2018Absolutely! I\u2019m thrilled to be playing the iconic role of Macheath. This piece sits right on the edge between theatre and opera, so it doesn\u2019t feel entirely foreign to me.\u2019

How is your collaboration going so far?<\/em>
Maarten<\/strong>: \u2018I feel like we really understand each other \u2013 partly because we come from the same (theatre) world. And I sense that we both want the very best for the production. So I really enjoy being part of Serv\u00e9\u2019s direction.\u2019
Serv\u00e9<\/strong>: \u2018I find Maarten incredibly inspiring \u2013 one of the most complete actor-singers out there. He\u2019s a dangerous performer, but also funny, and he can actually sing everything. That makes him unique \u2013 for me, the perfect Mack the Knife.\u2019
Maarten <\/strong>(softly): \u2018That\u2019s lovely to hear.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you mean by \u2018dangerous\u2019?
<\/em>Serv\u00e9<\/strong>: \u2018There\u2019s a great sense of unpredictability and creativity in his acting. Sometimes Maarten approaches a scene in such an unusual way that it suddenly makes perfect sense \u2013 just not in the way you expected. Maartje [Rammeloo, ed.] has that too. She can play with a beautiful volatility. I find that incredibly exciting in this piece.\u2019
<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you both prepare for this opera?<\/em>
Maarten<\/strong>: \u2018Just like for a play, I read up on it and watched the film version of The Threepenny Opera. Opera singers usually know their vocal parts before rehearsals even start \u2013 in theatre, that\u2019s not the case. We normally begin from scratch on day one. Luckily, I pick up the music quite quickly; I just have to get used to the German text. That\u2019s been the biggest challenge for me so far.\u2019
Serv\u00e9<\/strong>: \u2018Alongside countless conversations with the creative team, I make endless little sketches. That way I can clearly see how the mise-en-sc\u00e8ne works, how the piece moves from beginning to end. I create the general structure, and then I respond to what the performers bring to the table. The most important thing is that our direction creates a certain distance \u2013 because of the Verfremdungseffekt<\/em>. According to Brecht, the audience shouldn\u2019t identify too closely with the characters, so the message can come through more clearly. That\u2019s why I try to present the text as plainly and neutrally as possible, so the audience can \u2013 if they wish \u2013 pick out the themes for themselves.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maarten, how do you want to portray Macheath?
<\/em>Maarten<\/strong>:\u00a0\u2018Macheath is a ruthless murderer, a charming criminal, and sometimes a bit of a fool. He gets thrown in jail, escapes, then lands back there again because he needs validation from a woman. That complexity is what makes the role so much fun to play. When things contradict or rub up against each other, that\u2019s when it becomes truly interesting for me.\u2019
<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you both think of Weill\u2019s eclectic music?
<\/em>Serv\u00e9:<\/strong> \u2018I think it\u2019s fantastic! The lyrics are sharp, cheeky, brutal, even grotesque \u2013 but the music itself has something comforting and full about it. That combination is absolutely brilliant.\u2019
Maarten<\/strong>: \u2018I don\u2019t find the music beautiful in a conventional sense \u2013 it\u2019s a bit eerie\u2026 circus-like, playful. And it\u2019s funny, too \u2013 at least, I think so.\u2019
<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you hope the audience will feel as they leave the theatre?
<\/em>Maarten<\/strong>: \u2018I hope they\u2019ll be whistling the melodies on their way out. Any moral lessons they take away will probably surface later on, subconsciously \u2013 but not right then and there. That\u2019s not how theatre works, in my view.\u2019
Serv\u00e9<\/strong>: \u2018This piece is funny, but it actually shows a rotten world. We see a society where everyone wants to make things better for themselves \u2013 not, or even at the expense of, others. How much more relevant can you get? The Threepenny Opera gives a dystopian vision of what happens when civilisation becomes over-civilised. But I don\u2019t make political theatre. And The Threepenny Opera will never shove its message down your throat. It offers you glorious music, vivid characters, humour, sensuality\u2026 and a world that\u2019s utterly broken. Do with that what you will.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview: Kyra Bertram<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Both come from the world of theatre, and both are now diving headfirst into Die Dreigroschenoper. We speak to director Serv\u00e9 Hermans and actor-singer Maarten Heijmans just as rehearsals have begun. How does it feel to be working on an opera? How do they see the character of Macheath? 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